| HydroTail |
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Manufacturer: Beaker Concepts, Inc Name of Reviewer: Robin Smyth Website of Product if available: http://www.beakerconcepts.com/ Cost of Product: $50 aluminum, $75 carbon
Description: The HydroTail™ project was started in 2005 as a way to further increase the usage and ease of use of a rear hydration system. With lightweight and ease of use being the #1 factors in the design, several trips to the San Diego Speed Wind Tunnel in San Diego, CA (www.LSWT.com) helped to refine the position so that an aero benefit could be acheived as well as an ergonomic one. Our lower bottle position came about through both an accident in the tunnel and just the ease of grabbing a bottle while in the aero position. Carbon Fiber was used to make the HydroTail™ lighter than the other systems on the market at that time.
The H.5and H.5c are made with USA Aircraft Grade Aluminum, which as you can see allows us to easily powder coat many colors as one can desire! The H.5c has the same features as the H.5 BUT attaches to the seat post holes that come on the Cervelo P2c and P3c and now P4!The aluminum still carry's many of the same features as the carbon fiber HydroTail and some more! Now there are 3 positions to dial in your personal bottle position, it still flexes slightly as a super stiff carrier only stores the road energy ending with a rocket launching bottle, a carrier that has some give to it, helps to cut this rocket launching thing! The biggest difference is that there are NO NUTS (no weird thoughts here) anymore! We use THREADED INSERTS to make installation a breeze! Now some people have asked us about do-dads for Co2 cartridges and the like, sorry but we feel that with 2 straps (INCLUDED!) that is all that is needed. A three bottle option is also available for those who can never quench their thirst! For racing put your spare cartridge and inflator head in the tubular or just attach your bags to the back. These do-dads, while they may seem to make life easy only add weight, cost and undo bulk to the HydroTail. Keep it simple, simple is good. Retail price is just $50! Other systems seem to require you to buy the do-dads which only adds weight, cost and bulk! Why buy the lightest system only to gunk it up. These weighty options can add up to 1lb of weight that you just money to eliminate!
Opinion of the product/service: I can’t deny that I was drawn to the name of this hydration & accessory / spares bracket as I looked for something to mount spare tube, levers CO2 pump etc. There are several on the market and most of these have complicated and time consuming mounting methods to the saddle rails. What I liked about this variant, (C , specifically for Cervelo P2/P3C) was that it mounts directly onto the aero seat post through pre-drilled mounting holes. Getting it on or off is a breeze. Bottle racks are normally not included, but when I bought mine they threw in a couple of Profile Design “Kages” and all3sports are still offering the same deal. I would definitely recommend it and felt that it offered value for money over a carbon item, which is minimally lighter. Also if it is good enough for Chrissie Wellington, I am sure it is also way too good for me. The Standard H5 is also available in a variety of colors, including a girly pink J Pros:
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